The return to school has always been an expensive proposition (all those little items quickly add up), but the laptop era - in which a trusted digital companion is critical for college, high school and even some primary-school students to keep up -- has upped the ante. The right laptop can make homework efficient, maybe even engaging; the wrong one can frustrate students and drain your bank account.

There are hundreds of different laptops out there; we've picked 11 great choices for students. Take a look.

Dell XPS 13

Courtesy of Dell

What you're getting: Strong all-around value for general-purpose use

The Dell XPS 13 was on last year's list, and it once again earns a spot in 2019.

With the latest , you get a 13.3-inch Infinity Edge display with minimal borders, so the laptop is closer to the size of an 11-inch model. It weighs just 2.7 pounds, making it easy to lug around in a backpack. The laptop is machined from a block of aluminum with a woven glass fiber palm rest, so it is both durable and stylish. Equipped with 8th-generation Intel Core processors and solid state storage, it's a speedy and nearly silent laptop, with excellent battery